Traditions St. Louis Hawken 50 cal. rifle charge question?

[Gritonera]

I just purchased a St. Louis Hawken 50 cal. Kit. What is the recommend charge using GOEX 3F?
Thanks...

 

[2172]

traditionally, you start with the number of grains equal to the caliber, i.e. .50 caliber, use 50 gr of 3f to start...work up or down in 5 gr increments until you hit the sweet spot...Hank

 

[spud]

:hmm: I WILL PULL MY BOOK AND GET BACK TO YOU. --SPUD

 

[spud]

TABLE 1
CALIBER PROJECTILE PATCH CHARGES IN GRAINS
FIREARM DUAMETER-TYPE THICKNESS/INCHES MINIMUM MAXIMUM
.32 RIFLE .310 ROUND BALL .015 10 FFFG 30 FFFG
.36 RIFLE .350 ROUND BALL .015 40 FFFG 60 FFFG
.45 RIFLE .440 ROUND BALL .015 50 FFG 80 FFG
.50 RIFLE .490 ROUND BALL .015 50 FFG 100 FFG
.54 RIFLE .530 ROUND BALL .015 60 FFG 120 FFG
.58 RIFLE .562 ROUND BALL .020 60 FFG 120 FFG
.58 MUSKET .570 ROUND BALL .020 60 FFG 120 FFG
.50 RIFLE .500 CONICAL NONE 50 FFG 100 FFG
.54 RIFLE .540 CONICAL NONE 60 FFG 120 FFG
.50 RIFLE .50 SABOT NONE 50 FFG 100 FFG
.54 RIFLE .54 SABOT NONE 60 FFG 120 FFG
.31 PISTOL .310 ROUND BALL NONE 5 FFFG 10 FFFG
.45 PISTOL .440 ROUND BALL .015 20 FFFG 40 FFFG
.50 PISTOL .490 ROUND BALL .015 20 FFFG 60 FFFG This is from factory book. :thumbsup: --SPUD

 

[Gritonera]

Thanks! I'm very excited about my new purchase. This is my first traditional muzzleloader. Today I just received the CVA Tubular Flask 30 grain and the Hollow point bullet starter. 'cept with my flask...I thought it would measure the grains from 20 to 120 or so...when I talked to CVA to order directly from them. They didn't mention the grain sizes and they weren't shown on the website. How will I be able to measure the amount of grain needed for my muzzleloader?

 

[chapmans]

You will still have to purchase an adjustable powder measure, you should never pour the powder directly from a horn or a flask. If there were a spark in the barrel and the charge ignited you would be holding a bomb in your hand.
I think 50 grs is a good place to start and most 50's group the best with, somewhere between, 65 to 85 grs. although I shoot 50 grs a lot for 25yds and woods walks.

 

[spud]

Get yourself a adustable powder measure and use that to work up your loads. one with a pour spot that swings and strikes off excess powder is a great tool.--spud

 

[spud]

BTW one of the most accurate loads that I have ever seen in a cva or traditions hawkens is 60gr. Goex 2f or 50gr.3f behind a .50 lee target mini.got my last Michigan whitetail(2000)at 55 yds. with 70gr.3f behind a .50 lee target mini. went down in his tracks like he was hit with a 20mm shell--spud

 

[Trench]

My Traditions Hawken sweetened up with 70gr of 2F, .018 pillow tick, and .490 ball.

 

[Dphar]

I just purchased a St. Louis Hawken 50 cal. Kit. What is the recommend charge using GOEX 3F?
Thanks...

75 to 90 gr.

Dan

 

[boar]

Have 2 of them,50&54 barrels each. Use the 50 for match,60grs2ff RB, 54 for deer,80&90grs 2ffRB killed one 115yrds with 90grs, one 100yrds 80grs. Good guns, mine are 85&86 models. Dilly

 

[50cal.cliff]

They say you can use 2F of 3F in a .50. Personally I use 2F. The gun will shoot a round ball w / .18 patch pretty good anywhere from 65 grn. all the way up to 85grn.
That's 2F, 3F is finer and will probably do well with a little less. The gun will tell you what it likes. When you find the right grn. of powder your accuracy will hit a point that stays consistant! Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

[windwalker_au]

I just purchased a St. Louis Hawken 50 cal. Kit. What is the recommend charge using GOEX 3F?
Thanks...

go to the traditions web site and klick on the st louis hawken and then click on the owners manual
in pdf it gives all the loads.
Bernie :thumbsup: http://www.traditionsfirearms.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=R24008

 

[tippyguru]

Hello, at 50 meters my Traditions likes 55 gn 2f goex, 014 patch just and I do mean just damp with lube- the lightest smear( bore butter, moose snot, etc or mine: 15ml cloudy ammonia + 125ml detergent add water to make 1 litre), 490 ball and will shoot 9's and 10's shot after so long as is wiped once in and out every shot and 85 gn for nearly that good at 100 and I'm sure that is more me than the gun

 

[Brik847]

You should probably try both 2f and 3f. You will be able to tell what your rifle likes. There are the other variables too: patch thickness, .490 or .495, lubes. Then there are the shooting routines. After each shot I swab with a cleaning patch wet with TC bore solvent, then a dry one, followed by firing a cap to "dry". Once I went to this routine, along with changing from 2f to 3f, and changing my lube from bore butter to moose juice, my groups shrunk in half.

 

[windwalker_au]

this there recomended loads for there guns taken from the owners manual.
bernie :thumbsup:

 

[smo]

Welcome Gritonera, Start with 50 grns. as stated above & work your way up 5 grns. at a time. It really depends on your rifle ,barrel length ,etc: Just get out there & shoot it & read all you can there is alot of great advice here. Ask all the questions you can & have fun. Good Luck & Good Shootin'

 

[paulvallandigham]

Look forget the hollow point tools and conicals. Start shooting using a Patched Round Ball( PRB). The balls are cheaper, lighter in weight, and accurate out beyond 100 yards, which is as long a distance as you want to hunt using open sights. Its takes practice to hit small targets or shoot small groups at 100 yards, even off a rest. Lots of practice. you will get much more practice shooting PRBs than if you shoot those conicals, which will rattle your teeth until you learn how to hold the gun right.

You are at the bottom of your learning curve, and you don't even know what you need to learn. Go to the Links sections here, under Member Resources on the Index pages. It will take you to a long list of suppliers. Most have on-line catalogues. Look through them. If you have a local gunstore that caters to BP shooters, visit it. If not, try to attend a rendezvous, or your Texas state BP Championship rifle matches. Guys like Rabbit03, or Davey, or John Hinnant, all good Texans, can tell you details, and are members here. The suppliers who work at those large shooting events, and the men and women who are shooting there, can help you find and buy the stuff you need.

I recommend the Tedd Cash adjustable Powder Measure, that has a funnel attached to it to help you get the powder into the barrel, for instance.There is also a Nipple pick, or wire, attached to this powder measure, located in the bottom of the measure, you can use to mechanically clear a clogged nipple. There are other adjustable measures you can buy for less, but the cost on this one is worth the extra money.

You are going to need cleaning jags, a Range rod, a patch pulling jag, a ball pulling jag, and a bore brush. You want to buy only jags that have steel threads on the brass fittings, rather than those made entirely of brass. They may cost a dollar more, but its money well spent.

You also need a nipple wrench, to remove the nipple for cleaning, and for replacing it.

You need pipe cleaners in your range box to use in cleaning flash channels, and drums.

YOu are going to want to try different thicknesses of patching material, from .015" to .020" with a .490, and a .495" diameter round ball, to see which your gun shoots best.

You will use different lubes. There is an article in Muzzle Blasts, the monthly magazine for the NMLRA, last month about lubes, indicating that some lubes work better in some guns than others, and each gun has its own preference. But, using the right lube can reduce group size in half.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

good advice from all, FYI an '06 cartridge case holds 72grs 3F which is what I use as hunting load with a REAL slug. recoil is stout but not severe.

 

[Gritonera]

:thumbsup: Thanks!